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King Henry VIII
"Don't YOU know that I can drag you down, as quickly as I raised you?!"-''King Henry VIII Tudor'' King Henry VIII, the second monarch of House Tudor, was a notable king of England, famous for having six wives and for breaking the Church of England from Catholicism; he is the central character of The Tudors ''and appears in all episodes. He ruled for nearly forty years and became one of England's most infamous kings, both a charismatic leader and a monster in his own right. ''The Tudors ''does not historically accurately chronicle Henry's life in terms of the passage of ''time, but they did stay true to most historical events during his reign, icluding his obsession in wanting a son to carry on his dynasty. He is played by Irish actor Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in an award-winning role. Henry's six wives reigned in the following order: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr. He had three children by the first three, each of whom succeeded him on the throne: King Edward VI (the youngest), son of Jane Seymour, Queen Mary I (the eldest), daughter of Catherine of Aragon, and Queen Elizabeth I, daughter of Anne Boleyn, who was the last monarch of House Tudor. Henry also had at least one bastard son, Duke Henry Fitzroy of Richmond (by one of his mistresses, Elizabeth Blount) who died at age 16 (in the series he dies as a little boy) and may have had other illegitimate children. His more prominent mistresses (besides Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour and Katherine Howard before they respectively became Queens) include Elizabeth Blount, Mary Boleyn, Princess Margueritte of France, Eleanor Luke, Madge Shelton and Ursula Missledon. Henry's only consistant friend throughout the series is his childhood companion Charles Brandon, whom he invests as Duke of Suffolk. Season One Season One focuses mostly on Henry's annullment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and his affair with the beautiful Anne Boleyn. The first episode opens with everybody recieving news of Henry's uncle's death, which has made Henry mad with grief and extremely furious. Henry declares that they must declare war on France. He then goes to sleep with his maid. Henry is constantly cheating on his wife Catherine, however she is not aware of his adulterous ways until she discovers his maid the Lady Elizabeth is pregnant with his child. Henry is ecstatic when Lady Elizabeth has a son, who is named Henry Fitzroy. Henry sends the boy away to his own establishment when he is of old enough age, however, Henry's happiness at having a son is short-lived, as Henry Fitzroy catches the sweating sickness and dies. Lady Elizabeth, dressed in black, comes to her son's bed where he lies dead and cries, while episode 5 ends with a devastated Henry crying about his son's death while looking at the crown his son wore when he was named Duke. Anne and Henry make plans to get married and when Henry announces to Catherine of Aragon, his wife, that their marriage was null and void and that it has come to an end, she is devastated. Anne promises Henry a son. The first season ends with Henry riding with Anne on horseback into the forest; they get off their horses and have sex but Anne shoves Henry off and tells him "No you musn't" after he attempts to get her pregnant. Henry, furious, screams in anger and storms off out of the forest. Season Two Henry is now married to Anne Boleyn. Henry's beard indicates that he and Anne have been together for a few years now. Henry sleeps with Anne while they are in France (to present her as his betrothed to King Francis), causing her to get pregnant; in episode 2.03, he and Anne marry secretly to legitimize the baby, and she is subseqently crowned Queen of England as the new, Protestant archbishop of Canterbury (Thomas Cranmer) nullifies Henry's marriage to Catherine. However, much to Henry's disappointment, Anne gives birth to a girl who is named Elizabeth I. Although he initially still loves Anne, Henry promptly breaks his promise 'not to have a thought or affection for anyone else' and resumes his philandering with Anne's ladies-in-waiting; Anne catches on to this quickly and is upset. Prompted by her father, she reluctantly approves of Henry having a mistress as long as they are her choice, but Henry continues to gradually drift away from her, especially after her second pregnancy ends in miscarriage. Anne's outspoken nature on politcal matters- formerly what made her attractive- are now an annoyance, and by episode 2.06 there is a definite rift between Henry and his wife, though they appear to be somewhat reconciled in episode 2.07 After getting pregnant again, Anne catches Henry kissing Jane Seymour, a woman who has been made Anne's lady-in-waiting, and goes into shock, miscarrying Henry's male child. Anne tells Henry, "you have no-one to blame but yourself for this!" but he simply walks away, furious at having lost a son. This episode, episode 8, closes with Henry declaring his marriage to Anne null and void. Henry's affections begin shifting as the Seymour family is awarded new and more luxurious rooms at Court, replacing the Boleyns as the new royal favourites. During episode 8, Henry recieves a serious wound to his leg while jousting that would cause him great pain in later life; this wound gives him ulcers repeatedly in later seasons. Anne, having lost a son, has lost her chance at having a lasting marriage with Henry. Members of Court move against her; she is accused of adultery and witchcraft, and four of her supposed lovers, including her friend Mark Smeaton and brother George, and sentenced to death, and so is Anne. Her four supposed lovers are executed at the Tower. Anne awaits her own death, grief-stricken. Her execution is delayed by the executioner's late arrival. Henry visits Jane Seymour, asking for her hand in marriage. Jane and Henry become engaged. Anne is executed; Henry devours a swan and smiles. This is how season 2 ends. Season Three Henry and Jane marry. Henry falls deeply in love with Jane, who in turn mends Henry's relationships with his family. Jane becomes a good friend of Henry's daughter Mary. After sleeping with Henry, Jane subtly implies her pregnancy by her craving quail eggs. Jane gives birth to a son, but the birth is long and painful. She contracts an illness and dies 12 days after Edward's birth, much to Henry's devastation. He isolates himself in his chambers, depressed and devastated. When Henry recovers from his depression, he becomes determined to return (for the most part) to the Catholic doctrine he formerly devoted himself to, to the horror of his Protestant first minister, Thomas Cromwell. When Henry decides to re-marry, Cromwell steers him towards a marriage with Anne of Cleves in order to re-establish Protestant links with England, but this backfires on Cromwell when Henry is repulsed on actually meeting Anne; the marriage is a failure that ends after six months, while Henry is infatuated with his new 17-year-old mistress, Katherine Howard. Fallen from royal favor, Cromwell is placed in the Tower where he desperately gives Henry grounds to annul his marriage to Anne and pleads for mercy, but Henry allows Cromwell's enemies to put him to death. Season Four Personality Henry's personality is shown to change considerably over the series; yet, the most consistent trait, unfortunately, is that he is extremely quick to anger. Even his beloved or most trusted ones are not safe when Henry's wrath is aroused, though he may later show regret after their inevitable demise; the executions of his old friend and teacher Thomas More, and his wife Anne Boleyn in Season Two, demonstrated how far Henry's anger can go. Only Henry's best friend, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, survives the entirety of Henry's reign and remains in favor at his death, and this is because he is careful not to become to closely involved in political/religious matters. Henry's paranoia of plots or deceptions against him makes him increasingly unpredictable in Seasons Three and Four. Although he genuinely loved all his wives (with the possible exception of Anne of Cleves) Henry's love could be very conditional, as was proved by the downfalls of Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. Henry remained a phenomenal womanizer throughout his reign until his final years, even cheating on his most beloved queen, Jane Seymour; he would take and later discard various mistresses for short periods of time, although the only one he ever asked to become his maitresse en titre ('official mistress') was Anne Boleyn, who refused. Henry was never shown to cheat on Catherine Parr, but by then his health had declined to the point that he was in no shape for sexual activity anyway. Despite saying "I esteem the good of the commonwealth and the love of my subjects far above any riches" to Robert Aske in episode 3.03, Henry does not hesitate to use brutal violence against the people of England if provoked. This was proved by his most horiffic act of repression against his subjects, the destruction of the Northern Rebellion in Season Three known as "The Pilgrimage of Grace". Initially seeming pacified by the rebels (despite having condemned their actions in a rage and ordered the arrest of all their leaders), Henry seemed mollified after talking with Aske (the main leader, who was more moderate than his followers) but, despite his promises, he never had any intention of meeting the rebels' demands other than issuing a general pardon once they dispersed. Henry's deliberate inaction provoked a second, smaller uprising, which he and Cromwell capitalized on as an excuse to destroy the rebellion once and for all; even after all the leaders were executed, Henry ordered thousands of civilians in the North- men, women and children- hanged, even though the vast majority of the rebels had obediently laid down their airms. This massacre, not long after the execution of Henry's own wife, Anne Boleyn, severely damaged his reputation at home and abroad. Henry's health also affects his unpredictable personality as the series progresses. During Season Two when he is knocked unconscious during a jousting match in episode 2.08, an old wound on Henry's leg re-opens and becomes infected; the wound would periodically give Henry ulcers and bouts of illness for the rest of his life, causing him excruciating pain and shortening his temper still further. As a result of being unable to continue in his usual intense exercise (as he once did) due to his crippled leg, Henry increasingly gains weight from his continued extravegant diet (though he is far less obese in the series than he was in real life). Despite his hair-trigger temper, self-indulgence and ruthless nature, Henry cares deeply for all his children (even though he disowns his two daughters at various points due to his quest to father a son) and ultimately refuses to harm any of them; his love for his children is perhaps his only consistant redeeming quality. In Season one, when his bastard son Henry Fitzroy dies of the plague, Henry is shown weeping and staring at a miniature crown he had given the little boy a few months before, having bestowed him as a Duke. Henry's passions never truly die; he shows overwhelming grief on the death of his third and most beloved Queen, Jane Seymour, and shows eventual regret over the deaths of his first and second Queens (Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn) despite both marriages having ended badly. He occasionally shows acts of surprising and stirring generosity (though these are rare). One of the most notable was in episode 4.03, when Henry-on his way to make a progress to the North- pauses at the gates of Whitehall Palace, where a small crowd of sickly poor citizens have gathered to ask for his blessing. Despite his well-known, pathological fear of disease, Henry gently lays his hands on the heads of each of the people in turn and gives them his blessing, as well as a gold coin apiece. Henry enjoys sports of every kind as well as gambling, but he is a bit of a sore loser; he reacted badly on several occasions when three of his respective queen consorts (Anne Boleyn, Anne of Cleves, and Catherine Parr) beat him at cards. Economy/Military/Foreign Relations under Henry While Henry was not an unintelligent man, his short temper, inflated ego and self-indulgence meant he largely delegated matters of State to his Privy council, though he was still very actively involved in his rule. Henry's kingdom was, for the most part, financially stable under the first half of his reign thanks to the careful management of Cardinal Wolsey, though Henry's expensive ship-building programs and above-mentioned self-indulgence created a certain ammount of debt. This debt was added to by Wolsey's secret embezzlement of certain funds (though these were largely for educational and charitable purposes). This relative stability continued at first once the Reformation began in Season Two, since Henry's new first minister, Cromwell, proved just as effective at administration as Wolsey if not more so. However, Cromwell's Dissolution of the Monasteries- which provided Henry with such wealth that he became financially independent from Parliament- proved, in the long term, to be a mistake. It removed the main source of financial charity for the common folk and destabilized the economy, since Henry wasted much of the revenue going into his exchequer on weaponry and luxuries. It also provoked a massive uprising in Season Three in the form of the Pilgrimage of Grace, though this was ultimately, and brutally, repressed. Cromwell's attempt to correct this by allying with the wealthy Protestant League in northern Germany ultimately failed, and resulted in his own execution. Henry soon realized was left without an effective first minister and regretted Cromwell's execution, as his new Privy Council was far less effective. His costly and ineffective war against France in the latter half of Season Four, as well as his military skirmishes with the Scots in the first half of the season, bled the royal treasury dry; by the end of Henry's reign, England was severely in debt. Henry is, however, remembered for establishing a Royal Navy (the weapon on which English and later British power has been built for centuries) which proved vital to his foreign policy with more powerful countries such as Spain and France. Development in naval capabilities under Henry's reign was manifest, and his fleet grew from a modest handful of ships to a moderately-sized but formidable force. When observing the size and firepower of Henry's frigates in episode 1.03, the much more powerful Emperor Charles V of Spain remarks, impressed, "I have nothing like this." He also keeps the Royal Army up-to-date in weaponry and equipment, though ultimately the bloody Siege of Boulogne weakens Henry's standing armed forces considerably. His foreign policy was erratic and depended largely on his attitude and his first ministers- and his Queens, if they were influential enough. In Season One, Henry swings back and fourth between France and Spain then finally allies with Spain against France (playing off the Emperor's relationship with his aunt and Henry's current wife, Catherine of Aragon). However, not long after Emperor Charles rescinds some of his promises to Henry. Offended, Henry yields to the advice of Wolsey and his mistress, Anne Boleyn, and switches sides to favor France (though they make peace with Spain at the end of Season One). This Anglo-French alliance largely holds together until near the end of Season Two, by which time Wolsey is long dead, Anne (now Henry's wife) has fallen from favor and Thomas Cromwell, now the most powerful figure in Henry's government, is encouraging him to favor Spain again instead. Henry's brutal actions towards his Catholic subects, however, alienate him from both France and Spain in Season Three, and he is persuaded by Cromwell to form an alliance with Cleves and the Protestant League- solidified by his reluctant marriage to Anne of Cleves. This alliance is never favored by Henry, and as soon as Spain and France begin attacking each other again he abandons it and annuls his marriage. During Season Four, Henry at first ignores Spain and France and instead begins aggressive actions towards the Scots, successfully cowing them into submission. He is finally persuaded to re-enter the Franco-Spanish conflict on the side of the Emperor, but the alliance once again fails due to Charles not holding to his obligations, and Henry reluctantly ransoms his war gains back to the French not long before his death, leaving England (shakily) at peace. As a whole, Henry left England in a state of decline at the close of his reign, despite the huge impact of the Protestant Reformation. Although his daughter Mary I made tentative actions to reform the economy and financial system during her short reign, her military failures in France (along with those of her brother against Scotland) decreased the country's prestige considerably. England's stagnation would not be reversed until the reign of Elizabeth I- who paid off every debt her father had accumulated, improved the economy, and won glory for England's navy through her long sea warfare with Spain, while healing the rift in Anglo-French relations for much of her long reign. Relationships Wives Henry had distinctly different relationships with all six of his wives; most of them ended badly, but his first three had a much more significant impact than the latter three. Catherine of Aragon Originally betrothed to Henry's brother Arthur by their father Henry VII in a betrothal alliance with Spain; when Arthur died shortly after and the marriage was apparently unconsummated, she was betrothed to Henry (now Prince of Wales) instead. Catherine's marriage to Henry was extremely popular throughout England, as she was known for her good religious character, dignity and generosity to the people. Despite being somewhat older than her new husband, Catherine fell deeply in love with him and remained devoted to him; she was also a devoted mother to Mary, their surviving daughter. Henry initially returned Catherine's love, but when she suffered several miscarriages and stillbirths, Henry increasingly felt resentful for her inabilty to give him a surviving male heir; Catherine picked up on this and became increasingly self-loathing and sad for being unable to bear Henry a son, which further distanced him from her. He increasingly took mistresses during her failed pregnancies and afterwards, and as she reached menopause he spent increasingly little time with her, despite her continued love for him. Their only remaining connection was through their daughter. By Season One, Henry's relationship with Catherine is quite deteriorated, though outwardly they present a happy appearance to the world. Catherine is also resentful of the King's anti-Spanish minister Cardinal Wolsey. Although she has learned to (reluctantly) accept Henry's infidelities, since he always discards his mistresses in the end, Catherine is grieved over her inability to give him a son and fears Henry may try to divorce her. She initially takes no notice of Anne Boleyn (thinking she is simply Henry's next sexual conquest) but is shocked and devastated in episode 1.05 when her worst fear comes true: Henry asks her for a divorce. Considering that Catherine was never anything but devoted to him (despite their increasing arguments) even Henry clearly felt guilty about annulling their marriage, as he was visibly chokign back tears when he informed Catherine. In spite of her pain, Catherine continued to act as Henry's dutiful wife (since the annulment was not yet granted) but she acted increasingly hostile towards Anne Boleyn, correctly recognizing that Henry's interest in her was different than his previous mistresses. She also gained assistance from her nephew the Emperor, who used his influence in Rome to block the annulment process. This created a further rift between Henry and Catherine. Impatient to bring an end to his "Great Matter" Henry resorts to increasingly unorthodox and unscrupulous means to coerce Catherine into going along with the divorce, including attempting to guilt-trip her or persuade her to enter a nunnery; despite being unwilling to defy Henry, Catherine adamantly maintains she is his legitimate wife and would not damn herself by claiming otherwise. Her blind devotion to Henry actually furthers the strain between the two, as she is seeking to repair a broken relationship despite the glaringly obvious fact that Henry is doing the opposite. Henry still feels some guilt for what he is doing, but he becomes angry, fearful and resentful towards his wife for her popularity and her unwillingness to yield. At the start of Season Two, despite the Papacy having postponed the case at the end of Season One, Henry's shift towards the Reformation leaves Catherine in a dangerous position; nonetheless, she continues to play the role of dutiful wife until Anne Boleyn browbeats Henry into exiling her from Court. Henry forces Catherine to leave for the Castle Moor, where she remains in increasing poverty; Catherine sadly notes that Henry did not say goodbye. Though she remains devoted to Henry and refuses to yield (despite threats towards her and her daughter Mary) Catherine never sees Henry again and privately seems resigned to her defeat; though the Papacy have decided in her favor, Henry has already initiated the Reformation in England, breaking with Rome and acknowledging Anne Boleyn as his Queen. Now referred to as the Dowager Princess of Wales, Catherine's health begins to fail; Henry does not read her letters until her death in episode 2.07, when he receives her will. Perhaps touched by her loyalty, and the strong love they had many years ago, Henry weeps over the document. In episodes 3.05 and 4.10 he also shows some remorse for his mistreatment of Catherine, though he tells her ghost to "go away". The type of love Henry loved Catherine with was "true love". He truly loved her initially, but when he saw her failure to have a boy, he became impatient, possibly even scared. Catherine had actually, in real life, had a boy. He survived a few days, then died. Henry became desperate, and Catherine was six years older than him. Anne Boleyn however, was the opposite of Catherine, young, lively, intelligent. She became what he desired. So Henry wanted to pursue her, and Catherine refused to back down. He loved her, but they were just different. Anne Boleyn Henry and Anne's relationship is arguably the most complex of the six, full of both passionate romance and intense resentment and even hatred on Henry's part. Anne initially had no interest in the King, but was being used as a political pawn by her ambitious father. The King, on encountering her during a masquerade, developed an interest in her as a potential next mistress, spurring Boleyn to send Anne to court as Catherine's lady-in-waiting; however, though deliberately 'putting herself in his path' as she was told, Anne pointedly refused to succomb to Henry's advances, unwilling to be used for sex and then thrown aside as her sister Mary had been. Rather than losing interest, Henry became more intrigued, appreciating Anne's boldness and intelligence as much as her exotic appearance. When, in episode 1.05, she outright refused to be his official mistress, saying she would only give in to her husband, Henry became upset; Anne, realizing the strength of Henry's passion for her, began to fall in love with him in turn. Anne's promise to bear him a son if he would hold off sex until they could marry made the option of divorcing Catherine very attractive to Henry. Throughout the rest of Season One, his affections for Anne are passionate and unwavering despite the two arguing occasionally; he does not pursue any other women once Anne promises she will be his. In contrast to his indifference towards Catherine's illness in Season Two, Henry becomes genuinely afraid for Anne when she nearly dies of the sweating sickness in episode 1.07. He also showers favor on her father, uncle and brother, and allows her considerable influence in political affairs, despite her not having a position of any kind in his government. Both become frustrated, however,by delays to Henry's attempts for the annulment of his marriage, and twice before the "Great Matter" can be decided by the Papacy, Anne and Henry succomb to their sexual desire for each other. Anne eventually reveals her secret support of Protestantism; when she indicates the advantages it will afford Henry in gaining control over the Church and nullifying his marriage, this combined with his desire to make Anne Queen compells the once-Catholic Henry to initiate the Reformation in Season Two- one of the most vital themes of the Series. Henry becomes somewhat irritated by Anne's insistance that he remove Catherine and his daughter Mary from court, but he gives in to her. Anne becomes pregnant from their second sexual encounter, and Henry marries her in secret just before his marriage to Catherine is nullified by his new, pro-Lutheran clergy; she is swiftly crowned Queen of England to legitimize their chid as an heir, though the lack of attendees at the coronation attests to her lack of popularity. At first, Anne and Henry's marriage seems just as passionate as before, but Henry's sexual appetite is soon cut off when she becomes too pregnant to make love; when she gives birth to a girl (Elizabeth) instead of a boy (which she promised Henry) in episode 2.03, both she and Henry are upset and dissapointed, though both insist they will still have sons later and both love their daughter. While Anne is still recovering from childbirth, Henry (following a pattern similar to when he was with a pregnant Catherine) takes one of Anne's ladies as his mistress, breaking his promise to her to have eyes for no-one else. Unlike Catherine, who was hurt by Henry's infidelity but tried to ignore it, Anne is unwilling to tolerate this, and she has her brother banish the woman in question. When she becomes pregnant again, she attempts to control Henry by procuring a mistress among her ladies that she can control, but she is still uncomfortable with anyone else having Henry; after her unborn child dies in miscarriage, she sees Henry less frequently and is less able to supervise his sexual activity. Henry is increasingly put off by Anne's more negative traits after her miscarriage, since she has a short temper and is extremely jealous, unwilling to endure his mistresses as Catherine always did; he also begins to resent her for her unpopularity and her outspoken nature, since he expected her to play a more submissive, ceremonial role once she was Queen. Scared for her marriage, her family and her daughter's legitimacy, Anne finally begins to back down, though she continues to defame Catherine and Henry's daughter Mary. Henry seems to reconcile with her somewhat during 2.07 (partly because she is pregnant for a third time) but he is also developing an unusual interest in Lady Jane Seymour, to Anne's irritation and the alarm of her family. Following Henry's recovery from an injury that knocked him out for two hours (during which Anne was praying for him the entire time), Anne walks in on him kissing Jane and is full of shock, grief and rage. Not long afterwards, she suffers a miscarriage of a male child, to Henry's fury; each blames the other for their miscarriage. Anne remains Henry's Queen during her recovery, but her relationship with Henry has been destroyed permanently by her failed pregnancy- which, had her son lived, would have saved it permanently. She attempts once to appeal to him through their mutual love for Elizabeth (since Anne still loves him) but Henry refuses to listen to her, his mind consumed with anger over the death of his unborn son; he insists to his minister, Thomas Cromwell, that he was 'bewitched' into marrying Anne and insists he will take a new wife. When Cromwell, knowing Henry wants to marry Jane in Anne's place, hatches a plot to implicate Anne in false accusations of adultery, Henry is quick to believe them and has her sentenced to death; his initial furious reaction at her 'crimes' is so strong that he has the marriage nullified and disowns his and Anne's now-bastardized daughter, Elizabeth. In spite of this, Anne remained as loyal and loving towards Henry at her death as Catherine had been, and Henry surely realized, at the back of his mind, that she was actually innocent; this explains his brief show of remorse for Anne in episodes 3.05 and 4.10. Although he almost never discusses her again, Henry continues to remember his relationship with Anne with conflicted feelings, which influence his awkward relationship with their daughter Elizabeth. Then this brings us to the million dollar question: What if she had been the one to have the son? Though it is possible that Henry would have tired of her eventually, she would have had more to plead with and longer to live. Perhaps even to gain lands enough to live on! Anne Boleyn can be noted as one of Henry's favorite wives out of two categories of love: lust and true love. Jane Seymour Although Jane may seem to be Henry's most favorite wife, what if she hadn't borne him his precious son Edward? Or what if Catherine of Aragon or Anne Boleyn had been the one to have the son. Then there probably wouldn't be anymore Queen Consorts. Jane was lower in both rank and education than his two former wives (actually all except maybe Catherine Parr). Her bluntness and dumb mind made her pleasing to Henry; it gave him a rest after the lively and shrewd Anne Boleyn. Anne of Cleves Katherine Howard Henry made Katherine Howard- briefly his mistress- his Queen in order to reclaim his lost youth, as she was hardly his equal; he saw in this sex-driven, dimwitted 17-year old something that would be perceived as forbidden to a king of his age and career. The relationship was passionate at first, but there was always an underlying of superficiality to it. Henry overlooked her obviously childish nature and showered her with gifts, which the attention-seeking Katherine saw as a necessity in their relationship; she had no real connection with the King, who-after their initial whirlwind of sexua encounters- increasingly became tired and arrested by his crippled leg, leaving Katherine frustrated. Manipulated by her friends and household, she began an affair with the King's sociopathic groom, Thomas Culpepper, which put her in an increasingly uncomfortable position whenever the King wanted to lie with her again. Catherine Parr Children Henry's relationships with his children are complex, but he genuinely loves all them and is nearly always concerned with their well-being and futures (though there are notable exceptions with his daughters during Seasons Two and Three). Mary Tudor Henry's oldest legitimate child, born before the Series by his first wife Catherine of Aragon. Henry FitzRoy A bastard son born to Henry in episode 1.02 by one of his mistresses, Elizabeth Blount. Henry is delighted by his son's birth despite him being illegitmate. It proves he is capable of siring male children (he viewed the alternative as a slight on his manhood) and allows him to conveniently blame Catherine of Aragon for his lack of male issue. Henry orders massive celebrations in London after visiting his newborn son; he bestows FitzRoy with a very wealthy Dukedom in episode 1.05, to the anger of Queen Catherine. However, at the end of the episode, Henry is devastated to learn that FitzRoy (by now a little boy) died of the sweating sickness. He sobs quietly in Whitehall, looking down at the miniature crown and dirk he gave to FitzRoy while ennobling him. Elizabeth Tudor Henry's daughter born in episode 2.03 to his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Initially usurping her older half-sister Mary as heir to the throne, Elizabeth is showered with as much love, affection and gifts by her parents as Mary originally was- until Anne is accused of adultery and executed, with the nullification of her marriage to Henry making Elizabeth illegitimate. Despite her being an innocent child barely three years old, Elizabeth is put in real danger; her governess Lady Bryan removes her from her estate to protect her from her father's anger, which continues to flare up even after Anne's beheading. Henry refuses to recognize Elizabeth as his daughter for some time and will not provide for her needs, claiming she is the child of one of Anne's 'lovers' despite the fact that Elizabeth resembled him more than all his other children and Anne was actually innocent. However, when Henry actually sees the young Elizabeth face-to-face in 3.03 (thanks to her stepmother and sister, who took pity on her and brought her to court) he becomes startled. He almost immediately relents and affectionately reunites with her; like Mary, he does not restore her to the line of Succession, but he does resume treating her as his daughter and providing for her. Nonetheless, after her brother Edward is born Elizabeth is somewhat sidelined by her brother the Crown Prince and her older, more experienced sister; she spends more time with her later stepmothers, Anne of Cleves and Catherine Parr. Henry seems glad that she has relationships with them since, despite having nothing but favor for Elizabeth, he avoids her the most of his three children. He encourages her intellectual pursuits and dancing lessons, shows her affection and always praises her triumphs, but he always seems to regard her somewhat uneasily; when talking with a vision of Elizabeth's mother Anne in the finale, Henry explains that he keeps Elizabeth at a distance because she reminds him a great deal of Anne, especially in personality. However, Henry admits to Anne's ghost that he has always been very proud of Elizabeth and that he wishes he could love her more. Unknown to Henry, Elizabeth would prove a more ideal ruler than the son he constantly sought for, and in fact a much better ruler than Henry himself- she was the true success story of the Tudor dynasty, even if she was also the end of it. Edward Tudor Henry's long-sought and only legitimate son, born in Season Three to his third wife Jane Seymour. Unlike Edward's older half-sisters, his father's love for him never fades. Henry dotes on his son and obsessively protects his health, becoming frantic in episode 4.04 when Edward becomes ill. The little boy seems uncertain of what to make of his father, but plays happily with him and loves his sisters and stepmother. Henry apparently sees much of Edward's mother Jane (Henry's most-beloved Queen) in his appearance, further increasing his affection for his son and heir. Friends Charles Brandon Anthony Knivert William Compton Sir Thomas More First Ministers Cardinal Wolsey Cardinal Thomas Wolsey is Henry's first minister prior to and during Season One. Thomas Cromwell Thomas Cromwell is Henry's first Minister during Seasons Two and Three. Quotes Gallery 522183.jpg|Henry meets with Charles V (1.03) article-1367001-0B35532800000578-544_468x391.jpg|Henry on a deer hunt with Charles Brandon (2.07) tudors36-1.jpg|Henry's ulcerated leg, which caused him constant pain (3.06) why.jpg|Henry's horror at the execution of his old friend Thomas More ep3-4.jpg|Henry appoints Anne Boleyn Marquess of Pembroke Category:Characters